D&D 3E/3.5 Concentration Rules - fix them for a more 3e feel

[Ilbranteloth]

I think that is a good house rule. It is a significant boost up in the power of magic items though, so a caster can cast invisibility on the rogue and hold the concentration for it. But if the rogue drinks a potion of invisibility then there is no concentration. I think if you mess with one piece of that equation you should mess with both: caster and magic items.

I like the concentration rules for casting spells. They make sense and have a good limiting effect on them. I don't mind looking at ways to alter that (like the feat I mentioned), but those are essentially exceptions in the world, not the norm.

The concentration rules don't make sense to me for drinking a potion. More importantly, I don't mind allowing concentration spells to not require it from a potion because they are consumable, one-time use items and you can't use more than one potion at a time. So at best you're adding one effect. If you have more than one spellcaster you can already stack effects anyway, this just gives you a different avenue.

I'm OK with requiring casting from scrolls, since you're essentially just casting the spell anyway.

Ilbranteloth

 

[Sadrik]

I guess it really boils down thematically how you want magic to function in the world/setting that you want to play/DM in. Do you want fire and forget magic? or do you want fire and control magic?

Which makes me think of something... hmm, why can't you have both! In 3e, there were several spells that had durations like: concentration + 3 rounds. In 5e you get a lot of concentration spells that are worded like: Concentration, up to 10 minutes.

You could change the meaning of whenever it says up to 10 minutes you can always just fire and forget for 1/2 that amount of time.

So again, every spell with concentration can be used for 1/2 the time without concentration. Potions always use that 1/2 time. Magic items that use spells always use the 1/2 time, and spells that require you to use actions to direct them you must maintain concentration to direct them.

This is the best house rule for this. Dislocates arm while patting himself on the back...

 

[Ilbranteloth]

Just a few rounds of stacking concentration spells goes back to the problem they are trying to fix from earlier editions.

Even if a spell lasts for 1 minute with concentration, 1/2 of that would be 5 rounds. Which would mean that you could go back to 4 rounds of buffing up for one super round of actual combat. Not my cup of tea, personally. I'm not sure we've had a combat make it to 10 rounds yet, and if the first round is particularly deadly, then the combats are shorter still.

Not to mention the fact that the PCs will be the victims of ambushes far more than the other way around. Which means that they could potentially be subjected to the same 4 round pre-buff before the surprise ambush making for a particularly deadly campaign.

Fixes that allow limited combinations (essentially combining 2 spells) sound reasonable, particularly at higher level or with a feat. Granted, there is nothing to say that you can't have a cabal of wizards that all use concentration spells to stack them on a single creature, but at least that's at a cost of having to have several spellcasters.

Although, if they really wanted to stop stacking at all, then they would have indicated that there is something about the way multiple spells cast on a single subject interact with each other.

Incidentally, looking through the potions more carefully, there are some that already specify no concentration is necessary: diminuation, gaseous form, growth, heroism, and speed. Potion of resistance is stronger than the resistance spell and doesn't require concentration like the spell either.

Even if a potion of invisibility doesn't require concentration, it only lasts until you attack or cast a spell. Granted, in the hands of a high level assassin that's very powerful, but no more powerful than having your wizard friend cast it on you before you go in to do the job.

Actually, in the case of potions that require concentration, they would allow stacking with spells anyway. The assassin downing the potion is the one that would have to maintain concentration for the potion, so their wizard friend can still cast another spell requiring concentration on them.

Ilbranteloth

 

[jodyjohnson]

DMG p141 actually says potions don't require concentration.

If a magic item grants the effect of a spell then no concentration is required. (most potions)

If it allows you to cast a spell then it is. (Potion of Animal Friendship)